Černobil (Ukrajinski: Чорнобиль, Čornobil) je mesto v Srednja Ukrajinain znan po nesreči v bližnji jedrski elektrarni 26. aprila 1986. Obseg sanacijskih prizadevanj (uradno likvidacija nesreče) in nadaljnji inženirski izzivi, kot je gradnja ikoničnega reaktorja sarkofag, so v naslednjih desetletjih zbudili zanimanje številnih radovednih popotnikov. Černobil je obiskal ca. 70.000 turistov letno pred COVID-19 število, ki se je zdaj zmanjšalo na približno četrtino. Sevanje zaradi nesreče ostaja okoli mesta, zaradi česar je dostop močno omejen in ne pušča dvoma, da je območje nevarno in odločno ne zabaviščni park. Obisk območja pa je edinstvena izkušnja in ponuja vpogled v znanstvene, tehnološke in humanitarne vidike katastrofe.
Razumeti
| “ | - Velik dozimeter iz sefa, tisti z zmogljivostjo 1000 röntgen ... - Kakšna je bila številka? - Ni ga bilo. Merilnik je zgorel, ko je bil vklopljen. | ” |
—Černobil, serija HBO | ||
Ime Černobil se nanaša na območje okoli Jedrska elektrarna v Černobilu (pogosto okrajšano za ChNPP) na severu Ljubljane Ukrajina mejijo Belorusija. Černobil je mesto 15 km južno od elektrarne in je bilo najbližje naselje, za katerega zahodni mediji vedo, da obstaja leta 1986, ko se je v enem od 4 reaktorjev elektrarne zgodila katastrofalna nesreča. Mesto Pripjat, zgrajeno za nastanitev zaposlenih v elektrarni, je pravzaprav tik ob elektrarni in je zato veliko bližje od Černobila, vendar je bilo zaprto mesto v tistem času in zato na Zahodu niso poznali. Nesreča je tako postala znana kot Černobilska katastrofa namesto tega se je ime zataknilo.
Nesreča je z radioaktivnimi odpadki onesnažila veliko območje okoli elektrarne, ki so bila nato evakuirana. To Območje odtujitve je bila večkrat razširjena, ko se je razkrila velikost nesreče, in sčasoma zajela območje 2.600 km2, približno velikosti Luksemburg. Vzpostavljeni so bili posebni postopki za zmanjšanje širjenja radioaktivnosti, dostop do območja pa je bil omejen. Postalo je znano kot Črnobilsko območje izključitve. Natančne meje območja izključitve so bile večkrat prilagojene, da so bolje usklajene z dejanskimi stopnjami radioaktivne kontaminacije, vendar območje ostaja približno enako kot leta 1986. Veliko padavin je padlo Belorusija namesto v Ukrajina. Tako daleč kot na Švedskem (kjer je slučajno deževalo) meso gob in severnih jelenov zaradi padavin ni veljalo za varno.
Ker radioaktivnost sčasoma naravno izginja, se v zadnjih 32 letih stopnja sevanja zmanjšuje. V mestu Černobil je na primer raven sevanja približno enaka kot v Kijev, nekoč zapuščeno mesto pa je zdaj spet naseljeno. Večina območja izključitve ostaja zapuščenih, vendar večinoma gozdnato območje z jezeri in rekami, posejano z zapuščenimi naselji in industrijskimi obrati. Čeprav ni niti približno tako nevaren kot nekoč, ostaja jedrska puščava ki črpa radovednost pri popotnikih z vsega sveta. Območje izključitve je bilo predstavljeno v priljubljenih medijih, predvsem v običajnih računalniških igrah S.T.A.L.K.E.R in Klic dolžnosti, ki so skrivnosti območja izključitve širile širšo javnost. Črnobilska izključitvena cona je verjetno najbližje katere koli kraje na svetu, ki jih digitalni igralni svetovi vidijo v Padavine serija, ki pojasnjuje njegovo priljubljenost kot turistična atrakcija.
Čeprav je dostop do območja izključitve še vedno omejen, vodeni ogledi so organizirani, večina vključuje prevoz iz Ljubljane Kijev do in iz območja izključitve. Leta 2018 ga je obiskalo 72.000 turistov.
Zgodovina
Jedrska elektrarna v Černobilu
Nuklearna elektrarna Černobil je bila zgrajena med letoma 1972 in 1977 na obali reke Pripjat, približno 100 km severno od ukrajinske prestolnice Kijev. Njegova lokacija je bila izbrana zaradi varne oddaljenosti od prestolnice, redko poseljenega območja in bližine vode za hlajenje. Elektrarna ima 4 masivne jedrske reaktorje tipa RBMK s skupno močjo električne energije 4 GW - dovolj za napajanje približno 4 milijonov mikrovalovnih pečic. Zasnova elektrarne je bila za tisti čas inovativna, saj je imela vgrajene z vodikom hlajene generatorje z integriranimi elektroliznimi celicami za tvorjenje potrebnega vodika na mestu in napredne računalniške sisteme. Strojna dvorana, v kateri so turbine in generatorji, je ena najdaljših zgradb v Ljubljani Evropi z dolžino 600 m.
Poskus
Poleg jedrskih in elektronskih inovacij je tovarna izvajala tudi avtomatske nadzorne in varnostne sisteme, ki jih je bilo treba preizkusiti na terenu v živih proizvodnih okoljih, kot je bilo to običajno pri vseh sovjetskih tehnologijah v tistem času. Posebej zaskrbljujoč je bil varnostni sistem, ki obvladuje tako imenovani zatemnitev postaje, situacija, v kateri zunanji dejavniki povzročijo popolno izgubo električne energije v elektrarni. Reaktorje, vsak s toplotno močjo 3,2 GW, je treba v takih razmerah aktivno ohladiti, da se izognejo taljenju njihovih jeder, za to pa so nameščene močne črpalke za črpanje hladilne vode na jedra reaktorja. Rezervni dizelski generatorji so bili na voljo za proizvodnjo električne energije, potrebne za pogon vodnih črpalk, vendar so zaradi svoje velike velikosti potrebovali minuto, da so se hitrosti hitro povečali - minuto, v kateri bi jedra ostala nehlajena. To je veljalo za nesprejemljivo varnostno tveganje. Inženirji so iznašli pametno rešitev in predlagali uporabo preostalega zagona masivnih turbin in generatorjev, ki delujejo kot velikanski vztrajniki, da črpalke delujejo, dokler rezervni dizelski generatorji ne proizvedejo dovolj moči, da prevzamejo odgovornost za hlajenje reaktorjev. Ideja je delovala v teoriji, vendar ni bila nikoli preizkušena, zato je bil reaktor 4 Černobilske nuklearne elektrarne izbran za preverjanje teorije s poskusom.
Inženirji so oblikovali testni scenarij, v katerem bi se izhodna moč reaktorja 4 zmanjšala na precej nižjo raven, pri kateri bi se zaprle parne cevi med reaktorjem in njegovimi turbinami, da bi turbine spustile vztrajnik. Vgrajena je bila merilna oprema za beleženje izhodne moči generatorjev, posadka v nadzorni sobi reaktorja pa je bila seznanjena s tehničnimi podrobnostmi preskusa. Ker so si elektronski varnostni sistemi zapiranje parnih ventilov razlagali kot usodne vdore, ki so povzročili samodejno zaustavitev reaktorja, je bilo odločeno, da te varnostne sisteme onemogočijo in ročno krmiljenje prenesejo na upravljavce v nadzorni sobi. Izračuni so ves čas pokazali varno delovanje, test je bil odobren in predviden za večer 26. aprila 1986. Ko so Ukrajinci odšli v posteljo in se je poraba energije zmanjšala, se je test začel in izhodna moč Reaktorja 4 je bila po načrtu znižana.
Zaradi nepričakovane okvare na drugi podstanici drugje v Ukrajini je nuklearna elektrarna Černobil prevzela proizvodnjo električne energije, krmilniki električnega omrežja pa so zahtevali, da se reaktor 4 vrne na polno izhodno moč. Izvedbo poskusa je bilo treba preložiti. Ko je bila težava rešena in se je poskus lahko nadaljeval, so se menjave v osebju kontrolne sobe spremenile: dnevna izmena je že zdavnaj odšla domov, večerna izmena pa se je pripravljala na odhod in predajo nadzora reaktorja nočni izmeni. Zaradi nepričakovane zamude testa operaterji nočne izmene niso bili obveščeni in namesto da bi morali nadzorovati upad toplote v sicer zaprtem reaktorju, so bili zadolženi, da test opravijo namesto svojih kolegov v večerni izmeni.
Zaradi številnih človeških napak sorazmerno neizkušenih operaterjev nočne izmene je bil reaktor skoraj popolnoma izklopljen, kar je spet povzročilo preložitev eksperimenta. Odločeno je bilo, da onemogočijo zadnje preostale samodejne varnostne sisteme, da se reaktor čim hitreje vrne v omrežje, vse krmilne palice pa so bile umaknjene ročno. Zaradi tega je reaktor ostal v izjemno nestabilnem stanju, česar operativni postopki niso dovoljevali. Ko se je poskus končno začel, je izklop parnih ventilov povzročil pozitivne povratne informacije o izhodni moči reaktorjev, vendar so operaterji v nadzorni sobi alarme prezrli. Brez avtomatiziranih varnostnih sistemov, ki bi preprečevali nihanja moči reaktorja, se je izhodna moč eksponentno povzpela na več kot 11-kratnik nazivne največje moči.
Reaktor 4 eksplodira
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Ogromna toplota, ki jo je v kratkem času proizvedel reaktor, je povzročila, da je preostala hladilna voda v jedru reaktorja utripala v paro. Nastali udarni val je odpihnil pokrov reaktorja in izredno vroče jedro reaktorja je zagorelo, ko je bilo izpostavljeno zunanjemu zraku. Hlapne radioaktivne materiale in majhne delce reaktorja so odnesli v zrak gorilni tok in začeli deževati na velikem območju okoli reaktorja. Kosi reaktorskega jedra so bili izvrženi iz reaktorja in pristali v njegovi bližini, vključno s streho sosednjega reaktorja 3, kjer so povsod zagoreli požari. Streha reaktorja 4 je bila popolnoma uničena, zaradi česar je goreče jedro reaktorja izpostavljeno okolju in oddaja smrtonosno raven sevanja.
Sredi noči je bilo težko natančno oceniti obseg nesreče. Gasilska enota jedrske elektrarne v Černobilu in brigadi iz Pripjata in Černobila so bili zbrani pri požganem reaktorju. Nihče ni pričakoval, da bo reaktor poškodovan, kar je bila prva tovrstna nesreča v zgodovini. Na voljo je bilo le malo detektorjev sevanja in noben ni imel dosega, ki bi bil dovolj visok za merjenje ravni sevanja, ki ga oddaja jedro reaktorja, ki gori. Gasilci so vedeli le, da je bila stopnja sevanja visoka, vendar nihče nov natančno ni bil visok. Šele ko je situacijo zjutraj ocenil helikopter, je postalo jasno, kaj se je zgodilo, ko so helikopterske posadke iz zraka zagledale goreče jedro reaktorja.
Taljenje
Ker reaktorsko jedro ni nič ohladilo, se je stopilo in pomešalo z betonom, jeklom in drugimi deli reaktorja, v tako imenovanem stopiti. Zelo radioaktivna masa, podobna lavi, se je začela topiti skozi dno reaktorja. Takoj zaskrbljujoča je bila ta radioaktivna lava, ki so jo danes poimenovali "korij" in je v poplavljeni kleti reaktorske stavbe stopila v stik z vodo. V takem primeru bi voda takoj zasvetila v paro, kar bi povzročilo drugo eksplozijo pare, ki bi lahko v ozračje poslala še več radioaktivnih snovi. Skupina prostovoljcev je bila zbrana za samomorilsko misijo, katere cilj je bil najti ventile v kleti in jih odpreti za odvajanje vode. Z omejeno zaščito pred sevanjem in osnovno potapljaško opremo so inženirji uspeli najti ventile v temi poplavljene kleti in uspešno opravili svoje poslanstvo. V nasprotju s takratnimi poročili v medijih se je ekipa vrnila živa in kmalu zatem se je korij stopil v klet, kot je bilo napovedano. Če nič ne bi ustavilo pretoka lave, bi bil stik s podtalnico neizogiben. Inženirji so pripravili načrt, ki še ni bil preizkušen: zamrznitev zemlje pod reaktorsko zgradbo. Poklicana je bila skupina rudarjev premoga, ki je prejela nalogo, da pod reaktor predori in namesti cevi za vbrizganje tekočega dušika (pri -196 ° C) v zemljo, da jo zamrzne. Ko se je korij razširil, pa zgolj razpadajoča toplota ni več zadostovala za ohranjanje tekočine in večina se je strdila v kleti. Struktura je postala znana kot Slon stopala po svoji obliki. Je tako radioaktiven, da ga ljudje še nikoli niso opazili neposredno; edine posnete slike so bile posnete za vogalom z ogledalom, ker močno sevanje v trenutku uniči vsako kamero. Ob pogledu na to, da pomeni gotovo smrt, je bila Elephants Foot označena kot Meduza v Černobilu.
Evakuacija
Ko je postalo očitno, da je goreči reaktor ves čas bruhal radioaktivne snovi v ozračje in ga nikakor ni bilo mogoče zapreti iz okolja, so oblasti ukazale evakuacijo vseh mest, krajev in vasi okoli elektrarne. Sprva je bil obseg le 5 km, v dneh po nesreči pa se je hitro razširil na 10 km in nato 30 km. Ker so vetrovi sprva ugodno usmerili najbolj radioaktivne padavine stran od naseljenih območij, so se razmere po treh dneh hitro poslabšale in ogrožale mesto Pripjat s 50.000 prebivalci le 3 km severno od elektrarne. Ukazana je bila obsežna evakuacija, v mesto so prispeli vlaki in več kot 1000 avtobusov, ki so usklajevali prizadevanja za evakuacijo. Sprva so mislili, da bo hitro mogoče najti metodo za zadrževanje radioaktivnosti, prebivalcem Pripjata pa so rekli, da bo evakuacija le nekaj dni. V pričakovanju hitre vrnitve so vse osebne stvari, razen najdragocenejših, ostale za seboj, in ko je evakuacija postala trajna, so Pripjat in vsa druga mesta in vasi pravočasno zamrznili.
Da bi ustavila ropanje, je vojska prevzela varnost evakuiranih območij, ki so bila del območja Območje izključitve. V mesta so poslali lovske enote, da bi odpravili zaostale hišne ljubljenčke, čistilne ekipe pa so od vrat do vrat zbirale preostalo hrano, da bi preprečile izbruh epidemij in napadov škodljivcev. Večina nekdanjih prebivalcev območja izključitve je bila preseljena drugam v Sovjetsko zvezo in s skoraj ničelnimi gospodarskimi možnostmi znotraj območja se jih je le malo kdaj vrnilo. Območje izključitve je še danes pusta jedrska puščava.
Likvidacijski upravitelji
Neposredna okolica tistega, kar je ostalo od reaktorja 4, je postala izredno radioaktivna. Močno radioaktivni ostanki, med katerimi so bili deli jedra samega reaktorja odneseni na stotine metrov stran od eksplozij s paro, hlapne radioaktivne spojine, ki so izparile zaradi močne toplote gorečega reaktorja, so deževale na širšem območju. Bagerji, bagri, buldožerji in specializirana robotska vozila so bili zbrani na lokaciji, da bi pomagali pri čiščenju. Številne naloge pa bi morali še vedno opraviti ljudje, zlasti na območjih z najvišjo stopnjo radioaktivnosti, kjer je celo robot zaradi močnega sevanja onemogočil. Najbolj razvpito delo, ki ga je bilo treba opraviti, je bilo čiščenje strehe reaktorja 3, posejane z grudami tlečega moderatorja grafita in kosi jedrskega goriva. Prostovoljci iz vojske so bili oblečeni v svinčeni oklep kot surova zaščita pred sevanjem, nato pa so šprintali čez streho, da so odpadke odvrgli čez rob nazaj v zevajočo praznino, kjer je bil nekoč reaktor 4. Intenzivno sevanje je omejilo čas dela na strehi na samo 40 sekund, nato pa se je začela sevalna bolezen. Dejanski odmerki so bili veliko višji od izmerjenih in mnogi od teh Likvidacijski upravitelji - neuradno ime osebja, zadolženega za likvidacijo posledic nesreče - bolezen, ki jo je nekaj časa za tem povzročil sevanje.
V poskusu zaustavitve verižne reakcije so najboljši helikopterski piloti Sovjetske zveze pilotirali najtežji tovorni helikopterji, ki so obstajali v tistem času nad gorečim reaktorjem. V reaktor so spustili pesek, beton in borovo kislino, da so ga zaprli, in bili izpostavljeni siju reaktorja spodaj, večina letalske posadke je prejela smrtonosne doze sevanja. Eden od helikopterjev je udaril v kable z bližnjega gradbenega žerjava in trčil v reaktor ter posadko ubil. Poleg operaterjev reaktorske kontrolne sobe, ki jih je ubila eksplozija pare, so bili to edini zabeleženi neposredni smrtni primeri, ki jih je povzročila nesreča - na stotine jih je v dneh in tednih po čiščenju zbolelo in na koncu umrlo zaradi zastrupitve s sevanjem. Čeprav niso vsi likvidacijski upravitelji umrli, je izraz postal sinonim za samomorilske misije, da bi preprečili radioaktivno kontaminacijo. Tragično je bilo, da se je leta kasneje razkrilo, da je večina tovora, ki so ga spuščale helikopterske posadke, zgrešila cilj, zaradi česar so se piloti zaman žrtvovali.
Za sanacijo onesnaženja okoli uničenega reaktorja so bila območja z najhujšo onesnaženostjo buldožerji. Drevesa so prejemala tako visoke odmerke sevanja, da so celotni gozdovi umirali in jih obarvali rdeče. Te tako imenovane Rdeči gozdovi so bili buldožerji in drevesa pokopana v jarkih. Stavbe so bile uničene in ruševine tudi zakopane, najbolj radioaktivnih površin je bilo zabetoniranih, da se radioaktivnim materialom ne bi ušlo. Na obrobju Rdečega gozda, neposredno zahodno od znamenja Pripjata, je v travi veliko betonskih zaplat kot nagrobnikov, ki zapirajo nevarne pokope. Vozila, ki so bila uporabljena za likvidacijo, kot so tovornjaki, osebni avtomobili, buldožerji, helikopterji itd., So bila zbrana na pokopališču vozil v mestu Buriakivka. Pokopališče je bilo mogoče obiskati do leta 2008, ko so ga oblasti ocenile kot nevarno. Nekatera vozila ostajajo smrtonosna radioaktivna tudi od leta 2019. Nekatera vozila so bila od takrat razstavljena in reciklirana. Nekatera vozila so bila naglo pokopana, del njih pa je še vedno mogoče videti iz zemlje. Osebna zaščitna oprema, ki so jo uporabljali likvidacijski upravitelji, večinoma rokavci in rokavice, je bila odvržena povsod in je še danes radioaktivna vroča točka.
Sarkofag
Z ostanki ugaslega reaktorja, izpostavljenega dežju in vetru, so se radioaktivni materiali še naprej spuščali v ozračje. Preprečevanje nadaljnjega izpuščanja kontaminacije je bila prednostna naloga in do 20. maja 1986, le 20 dni po nesreči, so inženirji dokončali zasnovo zadrževalne stavbe, ki bi zaprla ostanke reaktorja od zunanjega sveta. Sledil je velik projekt nizke gradnje, da bi hitro zgradili tisto, kar so kmalu imenovali Sarkofag. Gradnja je v ekstremnih razmerah trajala 206 dni, gradbeniki pa so bili izpostavljeni smrtonosnim ravnem sevanja. Pri gradnji Sarkofaga je bilo uporabljenih več kot 400 000 m³ betona in 7 300 ton jekla, namenjenega pokopavanju 250 ton reaktorskih odpadkov in radioaktivnega prahu. Ko se je Sarkofag že približeval koncu, je njegova notranjost postala preveč radioaktivna za varjenje, zato vseh praznin ni bilo mogoče pravilno zatesniti. Sarkofag je bil zasnovan tako, da traja vsaj 30 let, kar daje inženirjem dovolj časa, da najdejo trajnejšo rešitev. Skupaj s sosednjim dimnikom je Sarkofag po razpadu Sovjetske zveze postal najbolj znana znamenitost, povezana z nesrečo, in edina najbolj fotografirana zgradba v Ukrajini.
Območje odtujitve
Malo je znano, da so ostali 3 obratovalni reaktorji jedrske elektrarne v Černobilu še dolgo po nesreči proizvajali elektriko, ker si ukrajinska vlada ni mogla privoščiti izgube proizvodnih zmogljivosti. Po neodvisnosti Ukrajine leta 1991 pa so države, ki mejijo na Ukrajino in Evropska unija države članice so zaskrbele stanje treh delujočih jedrskih reaktorjev in morebitno pomanjkanje vzdrževanja, ki so ga prejeli po umiku sovjetskih znanstvenikov z mesta. Povečan je bil politični pritisk za zaustavitev reaktorjev, reaktor 3 - ironično pa tisti ob uničenem reaktorju 4 - je bil zadnji, ki je bil decembra 2000, več kot 16 let po nesreči, izklopljen. Zadnje preostalo osebje je bilo evakuirano, osebje območja izključitve pa se je zmanjšalo na okostjaško posadko, sestavljeno pretežno iz gasilcev in varnostnikov. Skoraj vsi ostali so odšli 2300 km2 Območje izključitve je postalo resnično zapuščeno in imenovano Območje odtujitve.
Nova varna zapora
Ob današnjem obisku jedrske elektrarne v Černobilu obiskovalci ne vidijo niti ikoničnega dimnika niti Sarkofaga, ki je zdaj zaprt v velikanski približno 100 m visok lok, imenovan Nova varna zapora stavba, pogosto imenovana NSC. Njegova gradnja je bila skupna mednarodna prizadevanja, končana konec leta 2018. Za razliko od Sarkofaga je NSC zasnovan kot trajna rešitev z izrecnim namenom zagotoviti objekte za prihodnjo demontažo obstoječih struktur in končno sanacijo lokacije - kadar koli bo to mogoče. Dimnik je bil porušen, da je bil prostor za NSC, z njim pa je Černobilska jedrska elektrarna izgubila svoje najbolj znane in prepoznavne zanimivosti. NSC je bil zgrajen 140 m zahodno od Sarkofaga in je bil s hidravličnimi bati potisnjen čez Sarkofag na tirnicah. NSC je z dolžino 270 m in širino 150 m največja premična struktura na kopnem na planetu.
Vodeni ogledi se še vedno ustavijo pri spomeniku približno 200 m od NSC, posvečenem delavcem, ki so žrtvovali svoje zdravje pri gradnji Sarkofaga. V nasprotju z letom 1986 so ravni sevanja okoli elektrarne danes zelo nizke (nikoli ne presegajo 5 µSv / h) in zato zelo varne za obisk.
NSC vključuje robotske sisteme za pomoč pri razstavljanju in razgradnji Sarkofaga in ostankov reaktorja 4, zato nobeno od teh prizadevanj za čiščenje ne bo vidno obiskovalcem. Ker je treba natančno določiti obseg čiščenja, ki ga je treba še določiti, sijoča kovinska oblika NSC obljublja, da bo v prihodnjih letih prevladovala v pokrajini.
Trenutni status
Pripjat je zamrznjen okvir sovjetskega življenja v osemdesetih letih. Na stenah še vedno visijo propagandni slogani, otroške igrače in drugi predmeti pa ostajajo takšni, kot so bili. Zgradbe gnijejo, barve se lupijo in plenilci so odnesli vse, kar bi lahko bilo vredno. Drevesa in trava grozljivo pridobivajo zemljo. Območje izključitve je nekoliko grozljivo turistično mesto. Leta 2002 se je odprl za turizem, leta 2004 pa je bilo 870 obiskovalcev, število se je leta 2018 povečalo na 70 000, kar je 20 000 več kot leta 2017. V prizadevanju, da bi vzbudili sentiment pri turistih, so vodniki žal zamikali z manipulacijo zgodovine Pripjata , na primer tako, da na določenih lokacijah za seboj pustite polovične medvedke.
Tudi 33 let po nesreči še vedno poteka razprava o skupnem številu smrtnih žrtev. V strahu pred slabim odnosom z javnostmi je ZSSR nekaj let prepovedovala zdravnikom, da bi sevanje uvrstili med vzroke smrti. Ocene smrtnih primerov, povezanih z nesrečo, se gibljejo od 56 do 1.000.000! Svetovna zdravstvena organizacija predlaga, da bi lahko končna številka dosegla 4.000 smrtnih primerov med civilnimi prebivalci, kar ne vključuje žrtev med likvidacijskimi sovjetskimi vojaškimi silami. Številke, predstavljene za posledično smrt zaradi bolezni, ki jo povzroča izpostavljenost sevanju, in raka se zelo razlikujejo, pri čemer Greenpeace ocenjuje več kot 200.000. A Rusko Publikacija je zaključila, da je bilo med leti 1986–2004 po vsem svetu 985.000 prezgodnjih smrti zaradi raka zaradi radioaktivne kontaminacije iz Černobila.
Največje naseljeno naselje v območju izključitve v letu 2019 je mesto Černobil, po katerem je dobila jedrska elektrarna. Tam živi približno 3000 ljudi in skoraj vsi delajo v coni izključitve 15 dni po 15-dnevnem urniku rotacije. Vključno s turisti in uradniki (inšpektorji, inženirji, znanstveniki UAEA) se število prebivalstva v območju izključitve zdaj giblje med 5000 in 7000, zato ob obisku zagotovo ne boste več sami.
Preberite
- Svetlane Alexievich Glasovi iz Černobila: ustna zgodovina jedrske katastrofe ponuja osebni vpogled v življenje prebivalcev pred taljenjem in po njem. ISBN 0312425848.
- UNSCEAR-jeve ocene učinkov sevanja.
Mesta in mesta
Z izjemo mesta Černobil so vsa mesta na območju izključitve uradno opuščena. V resnici se to uveljavlja le na območjih znotraj 10 km odtujitvenega območja okoli reaktorja 4, in ker so ravni sevanja naravno izginile, nekatere vasi na obrobju območja izključitve ponovno naselijo naseljenci.
- 1 Černobil (Ukrajinsko: Чорнобильська атомна електростанція) - Edino naseljeno mesto v izključevalnem območju, po katerem je bila imenovana Nuklearna elektrarna.
- 2 Pripjat
(Ukrajinsko: При́п’ять) - Nekoč zaprto mesto, zgrajeno za zaposlene v jedrski elektrarni in v dneh po nesreči popolnoma evakuirano. Znano v številnih računalniških igrah in priljubljena turistična destinacija znotraj območja izključitve. - 3 Buryakivka (Ukrajinsko: Буряківка) - Mesto približno 20 km od jedrske elektrarne in eno od naselij v neposredni poti radioaktivnega padavinskega oblaka. Evakuiran je bil in zapuščen. Več zgradb je ostalo v različni stopnji propada. Stopnje sevanja se gibljejo med 1 µSv / h na cestah in 3,5 µSv / h na gozdnatih območjih od leta 2019. 2 km severozahodno od mesta je tudi zapuščena železniška postaja.
- 4 Poliske - Mesto v bližini Belorusija mejo, uradno evakuirano, vendar še vedno naseljuje približno 20 ljudi.
- 5 Opachychi
- 6 Vilcha - Zapuščeno mesto z varnostno kontrolno točko za obiskovalce, ki vstopajo v območje izključitve iz Belorusija.
V izključevalnem območju je nekaj zapuščenih vasi, ki si jih je izjemno zanimivo ogledati. Obiskovalci si lahko ogledajo kmečke hiše, majhne koče in veliko rastlinja. Bodite previdni pri vstopu na katero koli od teh območij, saj vegetacija vedno vsebuje veliko višjo stopnjo preostale radioaktivnosti kot betonirana območja. Vodiči vam bodo vedno rekli, da ne stopite na mah, prah v posušenih lužah pa koncentrira radioaktivnost. Poleg tega bodite pozorni na to, kam hodite, saj je večina stavb poškodovana zaradi kombinacije zanemarjanja in zaradi aktivne poškodbe ljudi.
Vstopi
| “ | Lahko dejansko ... Ne moremo tja, kajne? | ” |
-James May, Najboljša oprema, "Ukrajinsko potovanje" | ||
Za dostop do območja izključitve je potrebno dovoljenje. Enega od njih najlažje dobite prek organizatorja potovanj, ki jih je veliko s sedežem v Kijevu. Če se odpravite na ogled, je predhodna rezervacija obvezna, vendar več organizatorjev potovanj dovoli spletno registracijo. Nekateri organizatorji potovanj dejansko zahtevajo rezervacijo vsaj teden dni vnaprej, da se izognejo strmim cenam ali ne razpoložljivosti, vendar so nekatere ture morda na voljo nekaj dni vnaprej.
Tujci morajo imeti pri sebi potni list za vstop v območje izključitve in natisnjeno dovoljenje. Predložite potni list in dovoljenje pri 1 varnostna kontrolna točka, nato pa bodo stražarji skenirali QR kodo na dovoljenju in preverili identiteto. Med postopkom preverjanja morajo obiskovalci počakati pred svojim vozilom, zato se pred prihodom na kontrolno točko ustrezno oblecite. Večje kontrolne točke imajo informativne prikazovalnike za pomoč obiskovalcem in lahko vključujejo tudi kabine s spominki, ki predvajajo pesmi iz serije iger Fallout, da bo popolna izkušnja popolna! Izogibajte se fotografiranju varnostnih kontrolnih točk, častnikov ali vojakov, saj lahko fotoaparati zasežejo in / ali izbrišejo.
Vladna agencija, pristojna za območje, v uredbi št. 1157 določa, da je treba prošnjo za dovoljenje za območje vložiti najmanj 10 uradnih dni (kar lahko traja do 14 koledarskih dni) pred načrtovanim obiskom.
- Chaes-tour.com, 1/36, Bastionnaya str., Kijev, ☏ 380 94 928-15-88. ChAES-ogled vam bo omogočil, da iz prve roke veste, kaj se je zgodilo v zdaj zaprti coni jedrske elektrarne Černobil in jedra Pripjat, se dotaknete njegovih skrivnosti in dogodkov, ugotovite, kaj je zahrbtno sevanje, in se naučite, kako ga osvojiti. 1-, 2- ali večdnevne skupinske ture in ture na zahtevo, vse vrste so lahko tematske. V ceno je vključen maksimalni čas v Černobilski coni (odhod iz Kijeva ob 08:00, povratek ob 20: 00-21: 00), obsežen program obiskov Črnobilske cone izključitve, avtorjev nadzor nad likvidatorjem Sergejem Mirnyijem pisatelj ali vodniki, ki so ga posebej usposobili za učenje preživetja pri povišanem obsevanju v ozadju, ogled dokumentarnih filmov o Černobilu, pa tudi zavarovanje, udoben klimatiziran avtobus, zemljevide poti, osebna potrdila, ki dokazujejo vaš obisk Černobila. Od 89 USD enodnevnega potovanja do 787 USD 5 dnevnega potovanja na osebo.
- Černobilska turneja, Polupanova str., 1, Černobil, ☏ 380 44 383 4588. M-Ž 10: 00-18: 00. Izleti temeljijo na najnaprednejšem znanju o Černobilu in sevanju ter so uporabniku prijazni in prijetni. Poglobljeno prikazujejo tako bogato černobilsko zgodovino kot naravo Cone in učijo veščine preživetja zaradi sevanja. 1-, 2- ali večdnevne skupinske ture in ture na zahtevo, vse vrste so lahko tematske. Enodnevni izlet - 116-160 USD, dvodnevni - 265-314 USD na osebo. Cena vključuje uradno Cona dostopna karta, angleško govoreči vodič, prevzem in odstop iz Kijeva, prevoz, zemljevid poti in cona. Možnost najema osebnega dozimetra-radiometra.
- ChernobylTrip.com. Ekološki ogledi na Černobilsko območje in Pripjat. Potovali boste s profesionalnim angleško govorečim vodnikom. Ogled Černobila vključuje prevoz do in iz območja Černobila, kosilo in izlet v Černobil ter hostel v primeru dvodnevnega potovanja.
- Chernobylwel.com. Ti ogledi ponujajo priložnosti za ogled krajev, ki običajno ostanejo nevidni, vključno s hladilnima stolpoma 5 in 6, srečanjem z lokalnimi prebivalci in obiskom pokopališča tehnikov. Ponujajo tudi dvodnevne izlete za 200-250 EUR za ture iz Kijeva.
- Gamma Travel. Organizira vodene izlete v cono izključitve, bodisi kot enodnevne izlete bodisi za več dni z urejenimi nočitvami v Černobilu. €89.
- Lupinovo potovanje, ☏ 44 19 4270 4525, ✉[email protected]. Podjetje s sedežem v Združenem kraljestvu, ki ponuja 1, 2 in 4-dnevne ture po Černobilu, vključno z neobveznimi letališkimi prevozi in bivanjem v Kijevu. Za prenočitve se potrebe po hrani pripeljejo od zunaj Cona. Cena pridružitve skupinskemu ogledu znaša od 139 EUR na osebo.
- [mrtva povezava]Pripyat.com. Organizirani ogledi do izključitve iz Černobila Cona in mesto Pripjat, ki so ga vodili nekdanji prebivalci. Vključuje formalne oglede z pričevanji, zgodbami in spomini na nesrečne dni ljudi, ki so živeli v regiji. Naredijo zelo zanimive, informativne ture in vse se opravi zakonito.
- SoloEast Travel, pisarna 105, Proreznaya St., 10, Kijev, ☏ 380 44 279 3505. Eden prvih ponudnikov potovanj v Černobil. Obvezna zavarovanja (10 USD) in neobvezni monitor sevanja (10 USD) niso vključeni v oglaševano ceno. 79 USD na osebo.
- Star Sky Travel, ☏ 380 68 364 1424. Izleti v Černobilsko območje za skupine in individualne turiste; letališki in železniški prevoz; VIP storitev; turistična vizumska podpora, študentsko povabilo, poslovno vabilo.
- Tour2chernobyl.com, Illinska ulica 12, Kijev (Običajno se srečajo s svojimi skupinami ob 9:00 na zbirnem mestu v Kijevu, vstopijo na avtobus in odidejo v Černobil), ☏ 38 096 785 43 63, brez cestnin: 1 808 226 10 85, ✉[email protected]. M-Ž 09: 00-18: 00. Razpoložljive datume za skupinske oglede lahko preverite na naši spletni strani. This tour includes the Chernobyl Zone, Ghost Town Prypyat and Radar Duga. This tour is official and was approved by the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. Skype: tour2chernobyl.com from US$49 per person.
- UkrainianWeb. A North America based firm offering all-inclusive, English speaking guided tours to the Zone. Tours include a Kyiv pick-up and drop-off, Zone access pass, transportation and lunch. Friendly service, fast and convenient booking with various payment options.
Safety rules
All visitors are given a list of safety rules, which must be read and signed before entering the Exclusion Zone:
- Do not act as in an amusement park: It is the site of a nuclear disaster and still dangerous, so act reasonably and responsibly.
- Do not take pictures/footage of security measures: Police, guards, checkpoints, CCTV cameras and systems of physical protection are not the right place for cool selfies.
- Do not touch anything and do not sit on the ground: Try to avoid any contact with potentially contaminated surfaces. When you sit on the ground or any place, you significantly increase the risk of contaminating yourself.
- Avoid additional exposure: It is forbidden to wear shorts, t-shirts, skirts or other open types of clothing during a visit.
- Do not take items that originate from the Zone: It is not only very dangerous for your health but also strictly prohibited by the Law.
- Do not eat or drink at open air: You can swallow radioactive dust along with food, and they will remain inside your body.
- Do not consume alcohol and/or drugs: While in the Zone, you must be sober and in adequate condition. No exceptions.
- Do not smoke anywhere except designated places: Smoking often causes fires, and remains add trash.
Obiti
Public transport facilities in the Exclusion Zone are limited to bus services only. During day time there are regular services between the 1 Central bus station in Chernobyl town and the 2 Administrative building of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Many of the tourist attractions (Duga radar, Buriakivka, Kopachi, ...) are not served by the public transport services, so it is recommended to hire a vehicle with driver to get around.
The distances inside the Exclusion Zone are vast, roads are in a deplorable condition, and there are no sidewalks or bike lanes. Private motorized vehicles are the only realistic alternative to public bus services.
When leaving the Zone of Alienation, the area within 10 km of the exploded reactor, every vehicle will be checked with a radiation detector at a 3 checkpoint. All passengers need to leave the vehicle and must pass through a detection portal to check for any radioactive contamination on hands, body, clothes, or shoes. The detection portals are completely automated: simply step in sideways, placing feet on the bottom detectors and hands on the detection plates on either side of the portal. The barrier will unlock after a few seconds if no contamination is detected.If radioactive contamination is detected on clothes or shoes, they must be taken off and washed off. If contamination can't be removed then these clothes must be left behind. If contamination is detected on your body, you will be asked to take a shower before being rechecked by the radiation detection portal.
 | OPOZORILO: Radioactive contamination is taken very seriously in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, so expect guards armed with AK-47s at the checkpoint. Do not make photographs or video recordings of the checkpoint or its staff. Likewise, if you are found to have set off the radiation detection portals by trying to smuggle "souvenirs" out of the Zone of Alienation, you will be arrested because it is illegal to bring radioactive materials out of the area without explicit permit. |
| (Podatki so bili nazadnje posodobljeni avgusta 2020) |
Glej
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- 1 Monument to the Chernobyl Liquidators (Робототехника участвовавшая в ликвидации аварии) (across the street of the fire station). 24/7. A memorial inaugurated for the 10th anniversary of the disaster in 1996, dedicated to the liquidators -- firefighters who risked their lives in an attempt to put out the fire in the burning reactor during the days following the reactors explosion, and while dealing with the removal of its consequences. Many received deadly doses of radiation while trying to get the fire under control, largely unaware of the lethal radiation levels they were exposed to, and with no adequate protection against it whatsoever. The inscription of the monument reads "To Those Who Saved the World". Free.
- 2 New Safe Confinement (NSC). A 100-m-tall arch designed to replace the iconic sarcophagus as confinement structure to keep radioactive materials contained. It can be seen from a distance of kilometres away. You'll not be able to get too close, but the nearest 3 observation point is 200 m away. The only way to get closer is if you are a scientist or a film maker that has had months of preparation in advance. Although radiation levels here will be much higher than elsewhere in the region, you will not be able to pick up a significant dose during your stay.
- 4 Monument to the Constructors of the Sarcophagus. 24/7. A monument dedicated to the thousands of workers who put their lives and health at stake during the construction of the Sarcophagus. Free.
- 5 Bridge of Death. 24/7. Bridge between Pripyat and the Nuclear Power Plant. According to urban legends, on the night of the accident, people gathered on the bridge to watch the blue glow of ionizing air above the burning reactor, without knowing the dose rate was a deadly 500 R/h. The myth was propagated by journalists and stuck, whereas in reality the dose rate was much lower and no direct casualties were recorded among observers. Free.
- 6 Mechanic yard (МТС (машинно-тракторная станция)). 24/7. A mechanic workshop where agricultural vehicles were maintained, refurbished, and scrapped for parts before the accident. During the cleanup it was used for the maintenance of vehicles used by liquidators, and the site has been abandoned ever since. Fertilizer machines, corn harvesters, and numerous other agricultural vehicles are now rusting away in a birch forest that is overgrowing them. There is a pick up truck with a trefoil logo on its door, a great place for a souvenir photo. For those interested, there are numerous radiation hot spots in and around the workshop, which can be found with a Geiger counter. Free.
- 7 Concrete Mixing Plant. 24/7. A roadside concrete mixing plant with 4 hoppers and supporting facilities that transferred and produced the concrete that was used for the construction of the Sarcophagus. Some rubble with white tiles has been dumped on the site after the completion of the construction work, and is noticeable radioactive (~ 5 µSv/h). Free.
- 8 Vehicle Cemetery Buryakivka (Кладовище техніки ПЗРВ "БУРЯКІВКА"). appointment only. After the worst debris and fallout was cleaned up, a large number of highly radioactive vehicles were left scattered around the Exclusion Zone. They were relocated to a patch of concrete in the middle of the forest, near the town of Buryakivka. This vehicle cemetery features hundreds of vehicles including armoured transport vehicles, diggers, tankers, cranes, bulldozers, and the remains of 8 of the largest Soviet transport helicopters. The most interesting "residents" of the vehicle cemetery are 3 robots used on the roof of reactor 3 to clean up radioactive debris. The most iconic one, the West German "Joker", is contaminated with nuclear fuel particles and remains dangerously radioactive. Free.
- 9 The Claw (Гейферний ковш) (behind the Special Engineering Service building). A crane gripper used to remove radioactive debris in the aftermath of the accident. It remains measurably radioactive, and is often cited in popular culture as the most radioactive object in Pripyat city. Because of the natural decay of radioactive isotopes, the claw can nowadays be approached safely but should not be touched to avoid contaminating oneself. Free.
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
The power plant, home to four decommissioned RBMK-1000 reactors, offers amazing insight into Soviet nuclear and architectural engineering practices for those able to arrange in-depth visits. Commercial tours stop only at the Reactor 4 observation pavilion. Visitors wishing to experience the interior of the plant must request permission via a letter faxed to the plant's general director (Igor Gramotkin) as outlined on the plant's website. The letter should introduce you or your group, and explain in detail what you want to see. Admission, by no means guaranteed, presumably favors professionals employed in relevant fields. Visitors are issued badges and indirectly-read TLD-type dosimeters at the power plant entrance, then pass through a modern security checkpoint in the ABK-1 administrative building, and thereafter are given cotton coats, caps, and booties in preparation for entering the radiological control zone. A higher standard of dosimetry and personal protective equipment may be issued for some areas, such as the "Sarcophagus." Visitors' own dosimetry devices are not allowed inside ChNPP. Always be mindful that this is a fueled nuclear facility and security is taken seriously. Strictly follow directions from plant personnel about photography, and never attempt to rest anything on the floor (it may be confiscated due to contamination). The exit portal monitors at ChNPP are thankfully much less sensitive than those found in most American nuclear plants, but still it's a good idea to wear fresh clothes and shoes rather than articles that may have been contaminated elsewhere in the Zone. In 2011, visitation was allowed to Unit 3 main circulation pump rooms, the live 750-kV switchyard control room, the Unit 1 control room, the Phase 1 dosimetry panel, and the memorial to engineer Valery Khodemchuk in the ventilation building between Reactors 3 and 4, among other places. The turbine hall was closed due to excessive radioactivity in 2011, but was accessible in 2010. A particularly interesting place is the bunker under ABK-1 that is used as an emergency response center (as it was in the 1986 accident).
The power plant has a cafeteria that serves freshly-prepared and appetizing Ukrainian food.
Some commercial tours may stop to feed bread to the monstrous catfish living in the condenser cooling channel that flows under the railroad bridge near ABK-1. Do not take pictures in the direction of the power plant from this location. (Your guide will probably make this rule abundantly clear.)
ChNPP has its own train station, 1 Semikhody. Trains travel without stopping between Semikhody and Slavutych. The service is free. As there are no stops while the train passes through Belarus, there are no border controls. Visitors exiting the Exclusion Zone via Semikhody must pass through a portal monitor and their personal belongings may be frisked for radionuclide contamination.
- 10 Cooling Towers. 24/7. At the time of the accident, 2 more reactors of the same type as no. 4 were under construction to the south east of the existing 4 reactors. Construction was efforts were suspended indefinitely after the accident, and the nearly completed reactors were never fuelled. The structure is being dismantled as of 2019, but its half completed cooling towers remain. The northern tower is about twice as tall as the southern tower and can be seen from a distance. The concrete rebar sticking out from the top rim is a silent witness of the abruptness with which construction was halted. Free.
- 11 Fish hatchery. 24/7. On the shore of the lake near the cooling water intake canal entrance is a fish hatchery with supporting buildings. Fishery was an economically interesting opportunity in the lake because it never froze over due to the elevated temperature of the water being used to cool the 4 operational reactors. This meant fishing was sustainable year round, and the fish caught were larger than elsewhere. The fish hatchery was abandoned after the accident, and one of the few buildings within a 5 km radius around reactor no. 4 that are not related to the power plant itself. The hatchery is not fenced off and can be visited, along with the remains of its floating dock. The shore offers a nice viewing point for the lake. Free.
- 12 Atomskaya Mural. 24/7. The largest mural in the Exclusion Zone, depicting Przewalski horses living in harmony with the power of the atom in the hand of mankind. Free.
- 13 Red Forest. 24/7. A strip of birch and pine forest that was contaminated with the worst fallout, killing off most of the vegetation because of the intense radiation and turning trees reddish brown — hence the name. Trees were felled and buried in trenches by liquidators, then covered over with soil and occasionally concrete slabs.
The Red Forest is still the most radioactive area in the Exclusion Zone, and marked with radiation warning signs but not fenced off in any way. As of 2019, radiation levels vary between 4 µSv/h (microsievert/hour) and 15 µSv/h, with local hot spots reaching 40 µSv/h. Spots where material is buried have considerably higher dose levels. It is recommended to stay no longer than 90 minutes around these hot spots (equivalent to a daily accumulated those of 60 µSv which is the threshold for radiation workers). As the most radioactive outdoor area in Europe, exploring the Red Forest is an experience on its own, but adequate safety measures must be taken. Wear protective wellies, carry an electronic dosimeter (PED) with warning threshold set no higher than 20 µSv/h, and do not touch anything. When leaving the Red Forest, protective wellies must be decontaminated (washed off).
If possible, take a geiger counter or similar radiation measurement device with you into the Red Forest to compare activity levels at different locations. Birch trees and lichen are particularly prone to absorbing radioactive Cesium (accounting to the majority of radiation after 32 years), and often read much higher radiation levels with peaks up to 3,000 counts per second not exceptional. Make sure the probe of the geiger counter does not touch any of the vegetation to avoid contaminating it! Free.
Pripyat
The famous abandoned city, which once housed 50,000 residents. Sights to see are the schools, kindergarten, public buildings and the amazing cultural palace which contains a swimming pool, cinema and gymnasium, and overlooks the famous ferris wheel. Hazards are the crumbling buildings, and decaying wooden floors in places – so be careful. The government has deemed all buildings in the town condemned, so most tours will not let you enter the buildings*.
*As of 2019, entry into all buildings in Pripyat is banned, because as the buildings age they become structurally unstable, and the government and most tour groups would rather not deal with the results of a tour group being caught in a cave-in. Experienced guides in some tours, however, know which buildings are "safe" (stable enough) to enter, and will take groups in for photos. If they do, only go where they go as they know what parts of the buildings are stable and what parts aren't. Generally this is limited to the sports facility (the pool) and the roof of an apartment tower. Most of the buildings were 'cleaned' of their radiation during the liquidation process and now contain amounts similar to downtown Kyiv, so the dangers come not from radiation but from the buildings themselves. Places like the amusement park and the main square are still accessible because they don't involve entering any buildings.
Minibus day-trips from Kyiv typically stop in the town's center, at the west end of Lenin Street near the Palace of Culture. Short-term visitors are confined to the pavement at ground level; if you join one of these tours, your risk exposure is minimal, but so too is your exposure to the vast cultural reliquary that is Pripyat. A more in-depth visit (several days, staying overnight at the InterInform hotel in Chernobyl, eating meals at the InterInform stolovaya) costs about US$200 per person per day in a group of four (2011). The long-term visitor is rewarded with considerably more freedom to explore, accompanied of course by an InterInform guide.
Decades of neglect have resulted in a physically-hazardous ex-urban environment in which radiation is of distant, secondary concern. Hazards include uncovered manholes in the middle of barely-recognizable streets, open elevator shafts, flooded basements, decayed wooden floors, collapsed roofs, large amounts of broken glass, challenging footpath obstructions in dark hallways, and quite possibly asbestos. Flashlights are essential to exploring interiors. Although radiation isn't a relatively major concern, the "hotter" spots in town would most certainly be off-limits to the public in the United States or Western Europe. As an example, the basement of the Polyclinic contains first responders' clothing (firefighters' clothes, boots, helmets, etc.) and presents external gamma exposure rates approaching one roentgen (R) per hour (June 2010). As of October 2017, the only access into the hospital basement is by crawling through a hole dug after the basement access was deliberately buried. Some other hot spots are well known to guides and they can either help you avoid these places or find them if so inclined. The hot spots most commonly visited by tours are mostly marked with radiation signage. These hot spots are generally either places that were not decontaminated previously, contaminated objects, or locations where radioactive materials have collected together due to rain runoff. The most important precaution concerning radioactivity is to avoid ingesting loose contamination. Although your guide might eat snacks or smoke in Pripyat, you should not – particularly if you have been handling things or visiting places like the hospital basement. Buy an ample supply of drinking water at one of the magazines in Chernobyl before going to Pripyat (obviously there is not potable water there). Water can also be used to rinse contaminated shoes before re-entering vehicles.
- 14 Duga Radar. 24/7. Within the 10 km zone is a large former secret radar installation that the Soviet government used to detect missiles, the Duga 3 Radar. From Pripyat, it is easy to see in the distance, if looking from a point of elevation. Free.
Ali
- 1 Test a radiation detector. Although radiation detectors (Geiger counters, etc.) tick at many places in the Exclusion Zone, most of the measured activity is very close to natural background levels or slightly above. There are however notable hot spots, where radiation levels are many hundreds or even thousands of times higher than background radiation. If you've never heard a Geiger counter tick, then these are perfect locations to test them out! If you're brave, a good location is this waste separation facility, with radiation levels of ca. 1 mSv/h close to the ground. The radiation is concentrated in an area of about 10 x 10 m. It's recommended to stay no longer than 5 minutes in the area, which should be more than sufficient to make a video recording of a ticking Geiger counter!
Nakup
Since all goods, including food and beverages, are imported into the Exclusion Zone from elsewhere in Ukraine, anything you purchase in the Exclusion Zone is more expensive than in the rest of Ukraine. The only shops are convenience and grocery stores, of which there are quite a few in Chernobyl town. They all sell very similar items: water, sodas, spirits, sausages and dried meats, canned foods, frozen foods, and a limited selection of convenience items and dairy products. Fresh fruits and vegetables are hard to find in the Exclusion Zone.
As a general rule, shops in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone only accept cash. There is an 1 ATM at Radianska, but the amount of cash that can be retrieved is limited per transaction.
Food and beverages
- 1 Central bus station, Kirova 2б. Grocery store in the main building of the Central bus station, to the left of the entrance.
- 2 Вечный Зов, Lenin Street. Convenience store next to the fire station. They have a variety of drinks, biscuits, and food. During summer months they also have some ice cream!
Souvenirs
With tourism in the Exclusion Zone booming after the 2019 HBO series on the Chernobyl accident, it is no surprise that a variety of nuclear themed souvenirs are available. The most popular ones are t-shirts, mugs, and coins. They can be purchased in most shops and restaurants in Chernobyl town.
- 3 RadioProActive, Чорнобильінтерінформ, Bohdana Khmelnytskoho. A selection of shirts (male and female, various sizes) can be purchased from a vending machine. A share of the revenue is automatically donated to settlers in the Exclusion Zone. To buy mugs with a trefoil logo on it, ask at the bar. They also sell some post cards, but usually no stamps. 500 грн.
- 4 Tamianske, Radianska 74. Copper or gold plated commemorative coins with a trefoil embossed on the face side and the iconic chimney of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant on the back side. 40 грн.
- 5 Community Centre, Rabkorovska. Various nuclear themed t-shirts and other memorabilia.
Jej
There are no formal restaurants or snack bars in the Exclusion Zone, so normally all food must be brought in from outside the Exclusion Zone. If you're looking for pizza, noodles, or sushi, then your only options are restaurants outside the Exclusion Zone. There are shops selling meats, dried fish, and canned vegetables as alternative to restaurants within the Exclusion Zone.
- 1 Desjatka, Bohdana Khmelnytskoho. Canteen for maintenance crews working in the Exclusion Zone, and occasionally also for tourists. Some guided tours stop here for lunch. When staying overnight in Chernobyl, the canteen is your only option for a warm meal.
Berries and fruits found in the forests within the Exclusion Zone all likely absorbed radioactive materials from the soil and are radioactive in varying degrees. Do not eat anything found in the Exclusion Zone. Mushrooms in particular tend to have a strong affinity towards radioactive substances and tend to accumulate respectable activity levels.
It is prohibited to consume food in open air within a 10-km range around the power plant.
It is recommended by tour agencies to only consume food and drink while on the buses/cars/vans and not while out on tour, to avoid exposing the consumables to potentially radioactive dust particles in the air.
Pijte
All surface water in the Exclusion Zone is unsafe for drinking or washing because of radioactive contamination of the aquifer, so assume that all lakes and rivers are polluted with radionuclides. Stick to bottled water, which in Ukraine is predominantly sparkling.
Spirits, most commonly vodka and derived alcoholic drinks, are abundantly available in every grocery store in Chernobyl and relatively cheap.
A special Chernobyl beer is sold in select venues in Chernobyl. The beer is humorously said to improve communication between like-minded people, and helps to 'decontaminate' organisms in the Zone of Alienation. The bottles are easily recognizable by the green labels with a picture of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant after the accident printed on them.
Spi
- 1 ChornobylInterinform Agency Hotel, Bohdan Khmelnytsky Blvd 1A (at the former intersection of Khmelnytsky Blvd and Polupanova Street). Check-in: (by arrangement), check-out: (by arrangement). ~US$40 (double occupancy), July 2011.
Visitors have one (legal) option for spending the night in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, and it is the government-run hotel in central Chernobyl. Any of the tour companies mentioned elsewhere on this page can, in principle, make bookings for visitors at the hotel as part of the process of registering the tour with the InterInform Agency. Rules are constantly in flux; if you want to stay overnight in Chernobyl, ask your tour operator about it and make sure to plan early.
If you are accustomed to lodging standards in Kyiv, you will find the InterInform Agency hotel surprisingly affordable for the level of comfort provided. The buildings are prefabricated structures installed after the 1986 accident. Many rooms are actually suites, some larger than others. Some rooms have useful amenities like refrigerators, dining tables, sofas, or dishes—luck of the draw. Each room has its own bathroom and shower. Tap water is potable. No WiFi (2011). The buildings are not air-conditioned, but (hopefully!) the windows will be unlocked and screened in the summer. The main Interinform office building has the largest suites, while the annex to the east contains more rooms and even a chapel on the first floor with faux-stained-glass windows. Radiation levels at the InterInform Hotel are close to Kyiv background.
Hotel guests are not permitted to leave the premises without an authorized guide! This includes innocuously walking 500 m down the street to buy drinks, snacks or batteries at one of the magazins. If the very-abundant police catch you out on the town without your guide, you can expect a pleasant little march over to the police station near the Lenin statue and old Dom Kulturi, where they have an open-air gazebo set up with folks like you in mind. There you'll wait in contrition until your guide retrieves you.
The InterInform Agency canteen on the ground floor of the west building offers prix fixe dining by reservation only. Reservations made when the tour is booked with InterInform are about US$10 for lunch or dinner, but if meals must be arranged on the day of service, higher prices are charged. The canteen serves three meals a day at fixed times. Dinner is a multi-course, freshly-prepared, traditional Ukrainian set meal with very large portions and typically paired with a traditional beverage like kompot; even after a day of strenuous exploration in Pripyat, it may be hard to eat all the food they bring you, at the pace they bring it. Chances are nobody will check you for contamination or remind you to wash up before eating, but that would be a very good idea to do on your own.
- 2 Hotel 10, Kirova St. Refurbished Soviet-era barracks used as basic accommodation for longer stays in the Exclusion Zone. Up to 5 consecutive nights are allowed. The rooms have shared bathrooms with shower and toilet. There is a kitchen on the ground floor but no restaurant -- meals must be procured elsewhere. Probably the cheapest accommodation in the Chernobyl town. 200 грн.
Backcountry camping
As radiation levels in most of the Exclusion Zone continue to drop, backcountry camping is gaining more popularity as an alternative to spending the night in one of the designated hotels in Chernobyl town. Exploring the Exclusion Zone on foot and spending the night outdoors is probably the closest you'll ever get to a Fallout game experience. Spending the night in a tent in the world's most famous nuclear wasteland is a unique opportunity, but not for the faint of heart! It is strictly prohibited to make a camp fire due to the risk of forest fires, so electric torches are the only way to fend off wild animals—wolves and bears roam around at night. Rather than setting up your tent outside, it is recommended to set it up indoors instead, in one of the may abandoned warehouses or barns dotting the Exclusion Zone.
When traversing the Exclusion Zone off-road, make sure to bring an up-to-date radiation map, a compass, and/or rent a mobile satellite navigation system. Bring a radiation detector to verify radiation levels where you want to set up your camp, keep in mind that you'll be spending at least 6 to 8 hours here, so absorbed doses can accumulate fast. Aim for a dose rate of 10 µSv/h or lower where you set up camp. Setting up camp in or close to the Red Forest (the area with the highest radioactivity levels) is a bad idea, spending the night there may cause radiation sickness.
Ostani varen
Urban exploration
- See also: Urbex
If in Pripyat, exercise caution when entering buildings—the ground around entrances to, and inside buildings will generally be littered with broken glass, concrete and debris. Be sure to take care inside buildings as the flooring can be somewhat uneven (and sometimes unstable), handrails are missing, and elevator doors be left open with no elevator present. Watch your footing—a decent pair of shoes or boots would be a good idea. Tours are no longer allowed to enter the buildings due to an accident occurring involving a floor collapsing injuring several tourists. All visitors sign written acknowledgements of the Exclusion Zone rules, including the rules prohibiting structural access. However, it remains routine (2017) for in-depth custom tours to enter Pripyat structures and forested areas at the discretion of the guide.
Although some of the switch gear and power line infrastructure has been decommissioned after the shutdown of the 3 last reactors in the late 1990s, electrical power is supplied to the nuclear power plant site, Chernobyl, and many air quality monitoring stations from outside the Exclusion Zone. Do not touch electrical cables or other electrical infrastructure, even if they're laying on the ground, as many of these still carry live voltages.
Wildlife
Withdrawal of almost all human activity from the Exclusion Zone allowed nature to retake the area. Boars and bears are common as evidenced by hoof and paw prints in mud, and might attack when they feel cornered and/or threatened. Bears particularly enjoy the shelter of abandoned buildings, so make sure to make lots of noise when approaching buildings and never obstruct the path to/from a door to provide an easy escape route for animals that feel trapped.
Packs of wolves also roam through the Exclusion Zone, have grown in numbers, and are not afraid to venture into human occupied territories like the Chernobyl town. Inhabited properties are often fenced off with tall walls to keep wolves out, and it is common for doors to be locked at night. If you decide to bring smaller dogs or other pets into the Exclusion Zone, do not leave them outside at night!
Photography
Rising political tensions with neighbours Belarus in Russia have increased security around the nuclear power plant, with armed guards at security checkpoints and patrolling soldiers a common sight in the direct proximity of the plant. Do not make photographs of the checkpoints or whoever guards them. When photographing the NSC or any of the former power plant structures, avoid putting the 2 spent fuel storage facility and its supporting structures in view, as this tends to make guards nervous. When caught, your camera might be confiscated or your SD card formatted.
Stay healthy
- See also: Nuclear tourism#Stay safe
Beside the invisible radiation danger, there are the too small to easily notice ticks, which can be encountered in abundance in grassy areas and grasslands. When bitten by a tick there is a chance of contracting Borreliosis (Lyme disease), with risk of severe permanent consequences such as paralysis of limbs. When venturing into grasslands, cover as much skin as possible (long trousers and sleeves), and wear high wellies rather than regular shoes. If you spot ticks on clothes, wipe them off before they can reach down to your skin. If red concentric circles appear after three days up to a month after visiting, you might be infected and should consult a doctor immediately. Tick bites can not always be felt, so inspect your skin meticulously when undressing!
As of September 2020, there is an active rabies outbreak in the Exclusion Zone. Any contact with wild animals should be avoided, and a rabies vaccine is recommended.
Most forested areas should be avoided. Whereas areas accessible to tourists near the reactor and Pripyat generally has low radiation in most areas (but notably not in the hospital basement), forested areas may have higher levels of radiation, in part because no decontamination was attempted in those areas.
Do not ingest any material found within the exclusion zone as it may be radioactive. Food and drinks at the canteen do not come from the exclusion zone, so they should be safe.
Radiation hygiene is a very important consideration for in-depth visits, both for your safety and because radioactive contamination discovered on visitors at the Zone checkpoints is construed as prima facie evidence of rules violations (entering structures and straying from paved areas). If you go to the Zone with the goal of exploring and wallowing in the most contaminated areas (e.g. the Pripyat polyclinic or the "Red Forest"), pay attention! As of 2013, the Lelev checkpoint at the 10 km boundary is operational and all visitors must pass through the portal monitors while a police officer scans the vehicle and its interior contents with a scintillator; thus, it is no longer possible to plan on cleaning up at accommodations in Chernobyl in order to pass inspection at the 30-km boundary. You must be radiologically pristine (well, almost!) before getting back in the vehicle after going exploring. Take the following hygiene equipment, which you should have in easy reach for when you return to your vehicle:
- Pancake thin-window Geiger-Muller survey instrument. Cover the probe with a plastic bag to avoid contaminating it.
- Disposable gloves
- An abundance of carbonated bottled water, purchased at one of the small stores in Chernobyl before you head out to explore
- A cleaning brush with long bristles
- Pocket knife for cutting contaminated spots out of shoe soles (disposable shoe covers are a nice idea but they always break)
- Scissors for cutting contaminated hair
- A change of clothes and/or a disposable Tyvek coverall
Wear gloves while exploring to avoid contaminating hands. After exploration in contaminated areas, remove any obviously-contaminated outerwear like coverall or gloves or street clothes and pack it out in your luggage like a good citizen (low levels of contamination on these articles will be detected by the personnel portal monitors, but will not be noticed in luggage by the wand detectors the police use). Pass the GM probe over your body slowly and identify any spots exceeding about 500 CPM. First, attempt to wash as much of the contamination in these areas off by means of water and brushing. Contaminated hair or shoelaces should simply be cut off, as washing these will prove futile. Shoe soles are sometimes resistant to washing, in which case the offending spots should be reduced by cutting off with a knife. Your goal during cleanup should be to eliminate any spots on your body where the count rate exceeds 500 CPM on the pancake instrument, with particular attention to feet and hands. Avoiding contamination in the first place would in theory be preferable, but if you're reading this, you probably didn't come to Chernobyl to sit around staying clean.
The levels of radiation on guided tours are relatively small; radiation levels in most places are less than those of being in an aircraft flying at 30,000 ft. The main danger is not in the radiation, but in particles of radioactive materials that may remain on your clothes or items. Those who actually follow the rules (stay on pavement, out of buildings) will almost never trigger the portal monitor alarms at Dytyatky and can safely ignore the in-depth "radiation hygiene" discussion above.
A lethal dose of radiation is in the range of 3–5 Sv (sieverts) (300–500 roentgens) when administered within an hour. Levels on the tour reportedly range from 0.15 to several microsieverts (µSv) per hour (fifteen to several hundred microroentgens an hour). A microsievert is one-millionth of a sievert.
Example: On a six-hour trip arranged in October 2008 the total dose was 4 microsieverts according to the meter (400 microroentgens). This was less than the total dose of the connecting two-hour flight, which was 6 microsieverts (600 microroentgens). Radiation levels by the power plant were 1.7 microsieverts per hour (170 microroentgens per hour) and they varied between 0.4 and 9.5 µSv per hour (40–950 microroentgens per hour) in the Pripyat amusement park. Thus, risks are pretty much non-existent as long as you avoid hot spots and don't get yourself contaminated.
 | Note: Stay on roads; the radiation levels on areas covered by vegetation are significantly higher. Even more important, the risk for contamination when walking amongst vegetation is higher because it is more difficult to avoid touching or inhaling anything. Follow common sense if you are on your own; if you see an area marked with a radiation sign, the meaning is clear: don't go there. |
The International Council on Radiation Protection has a recommended annual limit of 50 mSv (5 rem) (uniform irradiation of the whole body) for nuclear plant workers.
Clinical effects are seen at 750–2,000 mSv (75–200 rem) when administered in a short time scale.
Since the levels are microsieverts (10−6) the general exposure level is very low. But it is still possible to be in contact with some very hot surfaces, so caution should be stressed.
One rem is equal to 1.07 R (roentgen), or 0.01 sieverts or 10 millisieverts.
Povežite se
There was no mobile communication infrastructure in the Exclusion Zone at the time of the accident, and none has been built ever since, so don't count on wireless reception. Notable exceptions are the area around the power plant and Chernobyl, which have 3G connectivity, and are the only places where you can get online.
There are no internet cafes, and there is no postal service in the Exclusion Zone. Post cards are for sale at the canteen in Chernobyl for 15 грн, but you'll need to take them out of the Zone to post them.
Respect
When visiting the Exclusion Zone as tourist rather than for research or scientific purposes, keep in mind that this is still a disaster area that only just started its long way toward recovery. Some of the locals have lively memories of how the accident unfolded, and almost everyone has been affected by it: people have been forced to evacuate, and many have lost relatives due to radiation induced effects.
Do not expect to be welcomed warmly into the Exclusion Zone. Tourists are only tolerated because they bring revenue into an area where virtually all other economic activities have ceased since 1986. This is not a safari park but the site of the worst civilian nuclear disaster in the history of mankind, so behave accordingly when interacting with locals. Being interested and asking questions is okay, but excitement is misplaced.
Pojdi naprej
It's not possible to cross the border with Belarus from the Ukrainian side because the border runs through the Exclusion Zone and there are no manned border crossings. Onward travel options are: